EA announces plans for three upcoming expansion packs for Battlefield 3, DICE's military shooter sequel, revealing Battlefield 3: Close Quarters to be released in June, Battlefield 3: Armored Kill for autumn, and Battlefield 3: End Game, which is due this winter. Here's word:

-- Battlefield 3: Close Quarters -- In Battlefield 3: Close Quarters, players are dropped into a frantic, infantry-only theatre of war. Frostbite 2 high definition destruction makes the environment come alive as everything from furniture to plaster gets shot to pieces. Players will feel the intensity of the world exploding around them as rubble and broken pieces pile up on the floor, while tight level design and vertical gameplay create a highly competitive environment. Battlefield 3: Close Quarters also introduces new weapons, assignments and unique dog tags to bring back to the base game.

-- Battlefield 3: Armored Kill -- Following the tight infantry gameplay of Battlefield 3: Close Quarters, DICE will release Battlefield 3: Armored Kill that ups the ante for vehicular mayhem as only Battlefield can do. Featuring new driveable tanks, ATVs, mobile artillery and more, Battlefield 3: Armored Kill also delivers huge battlefields for an all-out vehicle assault, including the biggest map in Battlefield history.

-- Battlefield 3: End Game -- The fourth expansion pack will ship in the winter but details remain tightly guarded.

On a semi-related note, EA has opened a new studio in Gothenburg Sweden specifically to develop projects using the Frostbite 2 engine that powers Battlefield 3.

MajorD wrote on Mar 7, 2012, 10:28:Did the BIG patch with the commo rose implementations ever come out in February as promised?

No but to be fair it was never promised in February, just "sometime". I'm expecting it at the same time as the next "expansion" or DLC. Thank you. Yeah, February stuck in my mind for some reason. I haven't played this since the Holidays ended, so if/when I eventually jump back in, I'm sure I'll get my A$$ handed to me. ;-)

"My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!" - Harry S. Truman